Isabella walked through the front door, exhausted from the disastrous date. She was immediately greeted by her parents, who were eager to hear about her evening.
"Hey sweetie, how was your date?" her mother asked, concern etched on her face.
Isabella hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "It was...interesting," she replied, trying to brush off the questions.
Her father raised an eyebrow. "Interesting? What does that mean?"
Isabella sighed, knowing she couldn't avoid the questions forever. "It was just really bad, okay? We didn't click at all."
Her mother's face fell. "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry to hear that."
Isabella's father put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, kiddo. There are plenty of other fish in the sea."
Isabella forced a smile, grateful for their support. "Yeah, I know. I just need to go relax now."
Her parents nodded in understanding, letting her go to her room. Isabella trudged upstairs, feeling drained from the evening's events.
As she entered her room, she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the stress of the evening. She walked over to her bed and sat down, pulling out her phone to call Sophia.
"Hey, girl! I need to talk to you about tonight," Isabella said, as soon as Sophia answered.
"What happened? Tell me everything!" Sophia replied, her voice full of concern.
Isabella took a deep breath and began to recall her blind dating experiences. "It's just been one disaster after another. The first one was awkward, the second one was boring, and the third one was just plain rude."
Her voice remained emotionless as she continued. "But the last one was the worst. He was arrogant, self-absorbed, and completely ungrateful. I tried to help him and he insulted me instead."
Sophia listened attentively, her expression sympathetic.
"It's just so frustrating," Isabella said, her tone still flat. "I'm just glad it's over."
Sophia's voice was calm and soothing. "Bella, don't let this experience discourage you."
Isabella's response was matter-of-fact. "I'm done with all this. I'm happy to be moving on."
Sophia's voice was full of excitement. "I'm so happy for you, Bella! Finally, you won't have to deal with these blind dates anymore. I'm just so happy for you!"
Isabella's tone remained flat. "Thanks, Sophia. Just pray Grandma doesn't push me into more blind dates, you know?"
Sophia said enthusiastically, "Don't worry, Bella, we'll get through this together!"
Isabella nodded happily. "Thanks, Sophia."
Sophia asked, "So, are you going to go on more blind dates?"
Isabella's response was firm. "I am not going on any blind dates anymore. I don't want to get married. I don't want any of this. The blind dates are terrible and frustrating. I just don't want anybody in my life right now."
Sophia said understandingly, "I understand, Bella. But we're going to talk about this tomorrow, okay? I have to go, I have to be at work tomorrow and it's already late. Good night, have a nice rest."
Isabella nodded, her expression still neutral. "Good night, Sophia."
_______________________________________________________
Meanwhile, in the Ryu's mansion, James wheeled Ethan inside, who was seated in his wheelchair. Ethan's expression was still subdued, his eyes cast downward.
James helped Ethan navigate through the foyer and into the dining room, where Miss Kim was waiting. "Ah, Ethan, dear, I'm so glad you're here," she said, her voice warm and welcoming.
James helped Ethan settle into his place at the table, then took his own seat beside him. The dinner conversation was polite, but Ethan's responses remained brief and strained.
After dinner, James helped Ethan back to his room, wheeling him down the hallway. "Do you need anything, Ethan?" James asked, concerned.
Ethan shook his head, his eyes still downcast. "No, thanks, James. I'm just tired."
James nodded understandingly. "Okay, buddy. Get some rest, then."